72 TROUT CULTURE. 



way till the trouble has passed. Thus they die, and 

 are lost to the breeder and the fly-fisher, unless the 

 artificial method of protection in pure streams and 

 ponds be employed. 



Were it not for this fouling of the water, many a 

 fair stream we wot of would have its shallows black 

 with healthy thriving trout ; instead of which we find 

 them black with refuse from " works." 



When we settled down to write this chapter, we 

 made up our mind to put the case fairly and straight- 

 forwardly before the reader, feeling sure that a dis- 

 passionate consideration of it will entirely win him 

 over to our view of the matter, whatever may have 

 been his previous opinion. 



The question of pollution of rivers is a large one, 

 and will be more or less exhaustively treated under 

 the head of " Enemies." 



